Jesusluvsall's Blog

Sometimes the reality of what my refugee friends have endured and been through slaps me in the face like a jolt of reality. I get so busy helping them with their new lives here that the reality of their experience seems far away.

Then I read a news story like the one I read yesterday that appalled me. I will use the term Daesh not the usual term used by the media for the criminals who terrorized Iraq and Syria these past several years. Daesh was especially brutal to the Yazidi people. British Special Forces were closing in on the last of the Daesh criminals and found fifty Yazidi women beheaded who had been held as sex slaves. Evil at its worst.

There is nothing I can do to stop such atrocities over there. The one thing I can do is love the refugees who are here. I can help them build their new lives here. I can be an understanding empathetic ear as they share their stories. I can try to make them feel welcome here. I can reach out my hand of friendship.

Like Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11:

“Who is weak, and I do not feel weak?”

I love my Yazidi friends and my other refugee friends who have been oppressed such as my Mandean friends from Iran and my Karen friends from Burma. So many others too from other places. My home city has refugees from all over the world.

In moments like when I read the article, I feel some of what Jesus felt when he saw the crowds of people coming to him in Matthew 9:

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Jesus felt an overwhelming compassion for them and he feels that for us. He feels that for my refugee friends. My hope is to show my refugee friends the compassion and love of Jesus.

In these weeks of physical therapy and going from doctor’s appointment to doctor’s appointment in hope of finding out what is wrong, it is too easy to lose focus. God has called me to love the refugees in my city. Whether I feel good or not, that call does not change nor do I want it to. My prayer is for God to give me the strength and to love them through me.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.